Vehicle-top.



M. A. BUCH.

VEHICLE TOP. APPLICATION FILED 'FEB. 19. 1915.

1,260,960. Patented Mar.'26,1918.

, 2 SHEETS-SHEET l- INVEPITOR M. A. BUCH.

VEHICLE TOP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1915.

Patented M14226 1918. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 nHHl i H H Um Q @WH HMHI Q IHVEHTOF? fiTTORHEY Wow W.

.seplication filed February 19 19152".

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, Max ALVINUS Boon a subject of the Emperor of Germany, re-

siding at Sparkbrook, Birmingham, county 5 of /Varwick, England, have invented a cer tain new and useful Improvement in Vehide-Tops, and declare the following" to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit pertains to make and use the same, reference being to the accompanying drawings, which form a part oi this specification.

This invention relates to vehicle tops and is directed to a bow structure to hold the deck and a deck adapted to be secured to the bow structure. I

A feature of this invention. is the provision of a removable deck, that is to say, the weather excluding fabric or deck is so constructed with reference to the bows that the deck-may be removed, or adjusted to place, very quickly if desired, either by a repair man or by the owner or the car hi1nself. Thi removable deck makes it possible to manufacture the deck itself as a separate article which may be shipped to the automobile owner who may very easily place the deck on the bow structure without the aid of skilled labor.

It is desirable to manufacture the bows and assemble the -saroe into the frame or bow structure in large quantities for receiv ing the deck and it is necessary therefore that each frame shall have the same term and proportion, in order that the deck may be adjusted thereto under the conditions specified and when so adjusted shall lie smooth and symmetrical. By making, the tubing oi D-form in cross section with the tlat surfaces toward the inside the tubes resist distortion either by bending or twisting and the fiat surfaces ailord a surface to work from and a definite surface for receiving the pieces constituting a joint so that the said pieces shall be and remain in one plane and not act to distort the trains. As hitherto con structed the insei tiuin'i of the wood filling and the adjustment of the joint pieces has necessarily more or less distorted the frame in that no two frames have the same form and proportion and therefore it was impres ticable to provide a cover of a set pattern to be adjusted to the trainee under the corn es ditions reclined Serial He. acts.

The e cross section of the tubing; intake-'4 possible a more coinpact construction w" less space between the sides oi the body and the uprights oil": the bows.

In the drawings,-

igure fl is a plan view )Fllfil of deck being broken away to show the thereunder.

Fig. 52 is a side iew of my rproved top.

3 is detailed section. or the top ad j scent the rear born n big, at is a detailed section. oi tor; adscent the mid bow. Fig. jacent the horizont F is an elera Fig. 7 is ection b line A.

8 is a complete how; he taken on the stiffening stripnscd in the do 9 is a detailed section through the front bow portion of the deck. and one the modified terms of taste 'ne devices.

Fig" 10 a section in deta V modified tori oi Fig ll. she as of fastening" device.

The portion of the vehicle body show indicated The deck thctop is i gnated F) and the bow structure c The bow i structure is a the new 15E." onenian top so e, alhicngh a as I vention is cone led it could be user nth the old or new term oil top,

in Fig. 6 a complete bow is shown will be apparent from Figs. 5 and i that bow is a single piece of metallic tubir sub stantiall sbapzd in section wi l flat portion towarc. the in"" o and which is bent to bow tone. This forms a stronger bow to resist both bc'o. and twisting forces than the old hooden bow with the bow socket, and also forms cheaper is old bow socket construction with n core and attached joint pieces 1% at. many trotables irnportant L a that no two bled :t'n u 1 i and. pr 7 tion wiires cross sect V account or or want of p of the woewn the oints "r distort 1 tains the stiffening strip 03 which is of practically the same construction as the rear stifi'ening strip. The deck is-fastened to the bow structure by fitting the same over the studs e which protrude from the rear bow and the front bow. These studs are shown in Figs. 3, 5, 9 and 11. Preferably I use such a form of stud as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. In the preferred form, the tubing of the rear and front bows, is perforated and'screw-threads tapped therein to allow the fixing of the threaded studs 6 in place. The stiffening strips are also erforated as well as the ockets of the fa ric. Gonsequently the d ck may be easily fitted over the bow structure by threading the erforations of the deck over the studs. W en this has been done, the cap nuts f may be run on the ends of the studs to hold the deck to the bows.

Stay straps h are shown running diagonally across the bow structure. This showmg appears in Fig. 1. Straps g are fastened to these stay straps, and engage about the bows as shown in Fig. 4:. These straps prevent the bows from opening out beyond the desired position.

aeonco strips located in said loops and completely encircled thereby, and means detachably securing said clamping strips to the said terminal bows.

2. In a vehicle top, the combination of a bow structure, a removable deck provided with pockets at the front and rear, a stifiening strip having perforations fitting into said pockets, and threaded studs for passin through the perforations in the deck an stiffening strips and for securing the same to the front and rear bow structure.

3. A top having an all-metal curved bow formed of a single piece of sheet metal tubing having a convex outer surface and a fiatinner surface extending substantially the full width of the tubing.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

MAX ALVINUS BUOH.

Witnesses VIRGINIA C. SPRATT, R. A. PARKER. 

